Q 2: Précis Dealing with Children The author says that educationists wrongly prefer not to interfere with children whereas they should enjoy their company. If one likes children the way one likes one’s pets, they will be more responsive without complaining much. If one tries to create in them a social sense and has in mind some future expectations of …
Read More »Dialogue and Paragraph
In English (Précis and Composition) paper of CSS examination, a dialogue is given and the candidates are asked to rewrite that in a paragraph form. As a teacher, I have observed that students find this question a bit difficult to handle. In this write-up, I have tried to guide the students regarding this question with the help of some examples. …
Read More »How to Write a Good Précis
The value of Précis-writing as an exercise in accurate expression cannot be overestimated. It is a useful accomplishment to be able to make a quick, readable summary of a passage, containing all important points, but carefully omitting all stuff of subsidiary nature. It is often necessary to be able to write briefly the substance of something heard or read. In …
Read More »HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY
Nothing scourges CSS aspirants more than English essay paper. It has become no less than a nightmare scenario for most of them. I often find students getting very good marks in Précis & Composition paper, but failing that of essay – sometimes by a very small margin. The examiner awarding 37 or 38 even 39 marks in this paper is …
Read More »Vocabulary? Oh my God!
Recently, a student told me that he was trying his best to “cram” vocabulary but was not really succeeding. He further asked me how he could increase his word-power. Here are my observations regarding this problem: Vocabulary should never be crammed. It cannot be learnt consciously. While learning a language, you shouldn’t be conscious that you are trying to learn …
Read More »Science and Civilization
Science has rendered great services to civilization. It has released the forces of nature and harnessed them in the progressive march of civilization, generation after generation. It has canalized the energies latent in our environment toward raising the standard of human life through a flood of discoveries and inventions. It has changed the face of the earth, making it unrecognizable …
Read More »LET US WRITE AND SPEAK CORRECT ENGLISH
Here we shall discuss errors in the use of PARTS of SPEECH for the benefit of those students whose mother-tongue is not English. However, all may be prone to such mistakes. 1. INCORRECT (INC): My children cannot endure my separation. CORRECT (COR): My children cannot endure separation from me. Explanation (Exp): It is not ‘someone’s separation’ but ‘separation from someone’. …
Read More »Let Us Write and Speak Correct English
INCORRECT (INC): The magistrate issued order for his arrest. CORRECT (COR): The magistrate issued orders for his arrest. Explanation: Order in this sense should always be used in the Plural, e.g., Orders for expulsion, orders for execution, orders for promotion, orders for dismissal, etc. INC: My father is leaving for Multan by the 8:30 o’clock bus. COR: My father is …
Read More »TEST YOUR WORD POWER
Choose the word nearest in meaning to each of the following words. 1. antithesis (a) an expository essay (b) the direct opposite (c) the subject (d) a tentative theory 2. adduce (a) to find a solution to (b) to persuade (c) to increase (d) to cite or allege 3. antipathy (a) ancient times (b) agreement (c) deep dislike (d) the …
Read More »ERRORS IN THE USE OF ADJECTIVES
What is Adjective? ‘Adjective’ literally means ‘added to’. An adjective modifies or describes a noun. It’s a word used with a noun to describe, qualify or point out a person, animal, place or thing or to tell the number or quantity of some nouns, as in the following sentences: 1. Razia is a good girl. (‘Girl’, of what kind?) 2. …
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